


Guarding Hippolyta

by spitshineboi



Category: Amazons - Fandom, Antiope - Fandom, Hippolyta - Fandom
Genre: Gen, new recruit choosing and training
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-25 21:04:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15648918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spitshineboi/pseuds/spitshineboi
Summary: How do you become a Queen's guard?





	Guarding Hippolyta

Antiope, Hippolyta, and Phillipus sat at the large table set up in the colonnade of the palace. Menalippe stood behind and to the left side of Antiope and Penthesilea stood to her right. Just as Orana and Artemis flanked Phillipus. Hippolyta sat in the center flanked by Venelia and Aella, two of her brightest guards. The rest of her guards were arrayed behind the table in a third rank. All could talk and discuss the applicants and give their opinions of both good and bad work ethic and strength for each. Hippolyta wished to raise her personal guards up to fourteen from the current ten so this was the final step in doing this. There were over a hundred applicants in the portico surrounded by the colonnade. Each and every one had passed the first and simplest of tests… they were all soldiers "belonging" to one of the ypolochagoi units run by the five sitting or standing at the table. Now the more picayune discussions and questions were set to begin. There were three scribes at a table nearby to take down all the transactions between those at the main table and the applicants.

"Are you going to make them nervous by playing music for them Hippolyta?" joked Antiope.

Hippolyta sat up in her chair, "What a good idea sister mine!" She then turned slightly to Aella and said "Make it so."

Antiope put her head in her hands. "I must remember to never joke around you Hippolyta." She didn't notice the head shake to Aella saying calling for the musicians was a joke too. It was typical of their interactions.

Hippolyta's chamberlain, Koinia, stood in front of the table with the long list of applicants and, at Hippolyta's nod, started the process by calling the first name on the list. Pisto from Penthesilea's hippeis. She was a good soldier that was steady and smart and all these attributes were brought up about her. Her strengths were noted, she was wicked evil with a sagaris, and her downfalls also, her archery was a little subpar but she had been working on it steadily. After this she was asked a couple of questions with Antiope's being the hardest to answer. "Why do you wish to leave the hippeis?"

"I wish to serve," was Pisto's answer. All were noted by the scribes.

This questioning took nearly a quarter hour as did each one after more, or less.

The next name was called." Androdaxia." she made her way forward. She was one of Phillipus' household guards. Phillipus was also in charge of the queens' guard. This made this decision a little iffy on her part and, after listing her strengths, sword and shield, an excellent hoplite, and weaknesses, none really, she stepped down from asking questions. Phillipus wanted to make sure she wasn't called out for partiality. Antiope sighed and looked at Phillipus. "Really? Afraid of nepotism?" She sighed again and, looking at Androdaxia directly and asked "Why do you wish to move from palace guard to queens' guard?"

Androdaxia stood a moment looking slightly up at the sky. She finally looked directly at Hippolyta and answered. "I serve my Queen directly as a palace guard but I wish to give more. Serving her by guarding her home and things is a great responsibility, but I wish to serve her directly by guarding her body wherever she is. The only way to do that is by being a member of her guard." She was then dismissed.

This went on for hours. Different soldiers were called forward and their strengths and attributes were told and recorded as were their weaknesses. After three hours only twelve had been questioned. That left eighty-eight to go and after questioning eight more it was ended for the day. Tomorrow they would be at it again as they would the day after and the day after that and finally the last day. This was a long haul. Once the applicants had been dismissed for the day the ypolochagoi, strategos, and queen went inside with the group of scribes to discuss each of the applicants individually. The questions and answers were noted and would be available to review later by the applicants. Their four-hour day turned into a ten-hour day as they ate while discussing. Hippolyta then went to her presence chamber to listen to her people's squabbles and make decisions upon them as required. After her sixteen-hour day she curled up in her Consorts arms and was lulled to sleep by the sound of Phillipus' heart beating… steady, steady, steady. Sigh.

The next day a list of the day's twenty applicants was posted so that the others knew whether or not they needed to stay. Most stayed anyway listening carefully to the answers and figuring out their own answers to Antiope's evil question at the end. The list included Chrysis, Hekate, Iphito, Lysippe, Okyale, Sarpot, Toxaris, Xanthe, Sinope, Maia, and 10 others. 

"Chrysis, come forward please." Chrysis was light infantry and under Artemis supervision. Artemis told of her protective manner with her weapons and how she was always working to make her weapons better by polishing, burnishing, and sharpening. She spoke of Chrysis' devotion to learning new tactics and ways of doing things. She was excellent with her fists, staffs, and sagaris as well as xiphos and pelta. Her weakness was her lack of sleep. Too much time making sure her weaponry was perfect. At that pronouncement Antiope laughed, "She sounds like me."

Antiope's question brought forth silence for a moment as if Chrysis was thinking. She then answered. "I believe that I would be a good queen's guard because I am sneaky. I can be close without being seen and in many situations that is what is being searched for. I would leave Artemis' service not to leave but to propel myself into a position where my attributes could be best used to warrant an excellent outcome."

Two hours later it was Maia's turn. She also worked for Artemis in the same unit as Chrysis. Though not as neat as Chrysis, she was innovative and trying new things all the time. Admittedly they didn't always work but she tried. She had discovered some close order drill that helped her unit immensely. Basically, she wasn't afraid to try new things. Her bad moments included the fact that she sometimes tried too hard and needed someone to talk her ideas through with.

When asked she replied that she liked the idea of being part of a group that used innovation to protect the Queen by any means possible using any means possible. A good answer.

These questions went on for three more days and then, following them, the final discussions on the candidates took another two days. But they finally had the list of four printed and posted around the courtyard. The four were Chrysis, Androdaxia, Tekmassa, and Maia. Now they're new training could begin.

The following morning the four reported, with their full kits, to Phillipus' office in the palace itself. Only Androdaxia knew where that was so the others asked questions of other guards until they found the office. Both Maia and Chrysis had the same gear and Tekmassa, one of Penthesilea's hippeis, had gear that was completely different. Androdaxia had the gear of a palace guard.

"Let's go and get you your armor and other gear," Phillipus said when they had all arrived in her office. First, they went to the armorer and were measured for their new armor. It would be three days before that was done. Luckily many of the pieces were already prepared and could easily be hammered into the correct sizes and shapes from those pre-made materials. Hence, only three days. Then they went to the tailors and had their tunics and chitons cut and prepared for them. These would all be ready the next day. Finally, they went to the arms mistress who carefully looked at all their weapons and decided what could be used in their new positions. Each of them had weapons that couldn't be used and they were told that they needed to be taken home and stored there or given to the arms mistress. Nothing was given to the arms mistress. Those that needed certain arms were issued them and then they left.

They then went to the portico, surrounded by the colonnade, where they found Hippolyta and the rest of the queen's guard. They were first introduced. They were then instructed where to stand and calisthenics began. They fell into the routine soon enough even if they were amazed that Hippolyta did the same workout with them. After an hour of working out they were split up and weapons practice began. This lasted another two hours. While they were resting Antiope strolled up and said, to Hippolyta, "I heard that my sister was really looking for a good fight. I think I can give it to you sister."

Hippolyta laughed. "You're on," she said. The two squared off against each other. What the new recruits didn't realize is that this fight was a way to see what others might do to the queen. These two knew each other better than any other and, despite Hippolyta's bravado, Antiope was by far the better fighter. She would never truly hurt her sister though so this fight was somewhat even. As a training regimen this was ideal. Show the recruits some relatively scary stuff and have them learn how to interact using the moves they might see today. Also, teach them how to think on their feet. All good.

Antiope struck first. She was so fast that Tekmassa had no move whatsoever when Antiope grabbed the sagaris from her and swung it in a beautiful arc down towards the skull of their queen who, somehow, parried it just away from her head with her sword and into the ground. Antiope back-swung the weapon and tried to impale Hippolyta who, laughing, screamed "You can do better than this Sister!" 

Antiope laughed, "Of course I can sister!" She swung the sagaris on another fore-swing and pulled her xiphos out also. Now she used both hands and her fore-swings and back-swings came non-stop. There was no time to breath, only time to parry and back away from the onslaught. Finally, Hippolyta thought she saw an opening and lunged. Antiope blocked her lunge with the sagaris, dropped the weapon, and quickly flanked her own sister and took her around the neck with her free arm with her xiphos hand holding it to her neck. "Got you," Antiope whispered to Hippolyta.

"Antiope, I've never seen you use those two weapons together," Hippolyta said as she lightly rubbed her neck.

"Too much?" Antiope asked. "I'll just use a staff later on then," She sheathed her xiphos and kicked the sagaris towards Tekmassa. "Besides, I have to keep you on your toes."

Then she turned to the queen's guard. "You all know how good your Queen is at taking care of herself. But I, only one person, could have taken her down. Who's to say that there aren't others who can do the same. That's why she has you. All of you could have taken me down, maybe, but at least it would have been a fair fight and, at worse, you've given her time to escape. That is your job. Protect or sacrifice yourself. There is nothing else."

Antiope then looked at Phillipus and smiled, "Take the four new ones to the strength and knowledge of the others. If anyone can do it, you can sister." She then grabbed Hippolyta's hand and asked 'Lunch?" They walked away.

The practice for the guards went on for hours. But it wasn't just exercises, forms, and sparring; there was classes also. It was explained that, in the palace, Antiope alone with the Queen was tolerated during training for short periods of time. That's why no one worried about Hippolyta going off for lunch with her sister. Proper places to stand, when attention, when ease, schedule, etc. were also discussed. The four new guards were told they wouldn't be placed with each other on two-women duty for some time so get used to it. The schedule would be as follows: six guards first shift, six guards second shift, and two guards overnight helped by sixteen household guards. They were also told that, at times, the Queen would decide how many guards she would have. During the day it would sometimes be as few as two, say when Hippolyta, Phillipus, and Diana went on a picnic or something. So, despite plans they could and would always change. The officers (besides Antiope, Menalippe, Phillipus and the other ypolochagoi) were Venelia and Aella as they had been Queen's guards the longest. They were also told that they had signed up for a minimum of ten years' service; most stayed much longer. Both Venelia and Aella had served for centuries. The new guards were buddied up with older guards and the lessons would continue for the next few years.

And so, this was the beginning of new schedules, new friends, new responsibilities for the four new guards. They all learned, quickly in fact, that the job was difficult at times but oh so rewarding. It was a new career for each of them.


End file.
